In general, a probe card comprises multiple elongated probes and is utilized for performing an electrical test of an electronic device by bringing a probe tip portion, particularly the probe tip of each probe into contact with each electrode of the electronic device in one-to-one relationship to supply power to the electronic device.
In recent years, such an electronic device proceeds to trends of miniaturization and high integration along with social needs and technological advances supporting them, so that electrodes of the electronic device are miniaturized, and their pitch is reduced. In addition, in some electronic devices, the electrodes are arranged in multiple rows, and the positions and pitches of the electrodes differ per row.
In a case of performing an electrical test of such an electronic device, a possibility has been increased that probes adapted to the reduced pitches between the electrodes and the pitches different per electrode pair may contact each other.
Conventionally, various means to prevent such contact between the probes are proposed. For example, there is a probe card in which a plurality of probes are arranged in the state that probe tips thereof are in zigzags alternately in the right-left direction of electrodes of an electronic device and that the probes do not intersect with one another (Patent Document 1). Also, there is a probe card in which a plurality of probes are divided into two groups consisting of a first probe group in which a probe main body portion extends to one side from a probe tip portion and a second probe group in which the probe main body portion extends to the other side from the probe tip portion, wherein the probes in the first and second probe groups are located alternately in the arrangement direction of their probe tips (Patent Document 2). Further, there is a probe card in which a probe in a first layer, a probe in a second layer, and a probe in a third layer (lowest layer) are fixed at an interval in up and down direction on the lower surface of a needle holder, and which probes in any one of the layers are used to correspond to the positions of electrodes of an electronic device (Patent Document 3).
Document
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Appln. Public Disclosure. No. 2000-216204 (Paragraph 0017)
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Appln. Public Disclosure No. 2001-108708 (claim 2)
[Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Appln. Public Disclosure No. 2003-14780 (Paragraph 0011, etc.)
However, in the conventional case where, in an electronic device having a plurality of electrode rows, the electrode pitches differ per row, and the positions of the electrodes are displaced in the row direction per row, since the probe pitch is uniform, the conventional probe cards cannot let each probe contact each electrode in one-to-one relationship and have difficulty in performing an electrical test of the aforementioned electronic device.
Especially, for a customized electronic device in which multiple electrodes are irregularly arranged, the conventional probe cards cannot be configured to contact the probes with the electrodes in one-to-one relationship.
Also, when an electronic device whose electrode pitch in each row is narrower than the probe pitch is to be tested by the conventional probe card having such probes, the probes contact one another, and an electronic test cannot be performed.